Swiss Armed Forces
The Swiss Armed Forces are the armed forces of the Swiss Confederation and essentially a continuation of their pre-war counterparts, who emerged from their bunkers after the Great War to continue acting as the primary defensive forces of the country. During peacetime, the armed forces are controlled by the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport, with the highest military officer being the Military Chief of Staff, who holds the rank of Lieutenant General, and reports directly to the DDFS. During wartime, a Commander in Chief may be elected by the Federal Assembly, holding the rank of Full ("four star") General. The Swiss Armed Forces consist of the Army and Air Force, as well as intelligence services. As Switzerland is a land-locked country, there is no Swiss Navy, though the Army operates flotilla of small boats on the lakes located along the border (such as Lake Geneva). The Swiss military has mandatory national service for all able-bodies males from age 19 to 34, with women also being allowed to serve in all positions should they volunteer. The majority of Swiss servicemen are effectively a militia, who, after completing training, are called up for a short period of every year for training exercises, or in the event of an outside attack or other emergency, with only about 5% serving as full-time professional soldiers. Swiss citizens from 35 to age 50 can also serve as a second line of reservists if necessary, meaning that much of the population can be called up in event of emergency. Troops receive military instruction in the language of their local canton, and are placed into units speaking that language, with the exception of Romansch speakers, who are few in number and are trained in German. The multiple languages of the country are rarely an issue in military organization as most Swiss speak at least two of the national languages. Unique among militaries, in order to expediate rapid mobilization of reserves, Swiss troops may keep their service weapon and a package of ammunition at their home (though the ammunition may only be used in the even of mobilization, though private purchase of ammunition for target shooting at ranges when off-duty is allowed, as is the ownership of privately owned firearms. Conscription and Training Branches Army The Swiss Army consists of two infantry brigades, two mechanized brigades, and two armored brigades, as well as four territorial divisions providing additional troops at a localized level. The Swiss Army operate a variety of pre-war equipment stored in bunkers or recovered in the field after the war. The standard infantry rifle is the SIG 550 series, though some reservists may carry older weapons found in storage and civilian ownership, such as the SIG 510 battle rifle and WWII-era K-31 bolt-action rifle. The Swiss army also makes use of various handguns, machine guns, sniper rifles, energy weapons, rocket launchers, energy weapons, mortars, artillery pieces, vehicles, and other weapons. Commonly operated vehicles of the Swiss Army include the Panzer Pz. 42, a pre-war license-built copy of the German Löwe main battle tank, as well as the MOWAG Barracuda APC, the MOWAG Eagle light armored vehicle, and various trucks and other transport vehicles. *Infantry: The Swiss Army as of 2200 had two brigades of infantry and two of mechanized infantry, as well as a numerous smaller units in the territorial divisions. Swiss Army infantry are extensively trained to fight in the mountainous environments that cover much of the country. The Swiss Army infantry forces contain numerous specialist sub-units, the largest being mechanized infantry transported by armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles, often supported by armored forces. Other specialist units include mountain infantry, who have even greater training in alpine warfare than regular infantry, including training to move on skis; bicycle infantry, infantry transported on bicycles, but fight on foot, a unit having been discontinued in early 21st century, but revived after the Great War. For infantry transport, the Swiss army has one of the largest post-war collections of armored and unarmored vehicles in Europe, if not the world, including over 400 APCs and IFVs and over 1000 trucks and light vehicles of various types. *Artillery: Swiss artillery units are embedded within infantry, mechanized, or armored brigades or stationed in the many forts in the Alps, and make use of stationary, towed, and self-propelled artillery pieces to provide artillery support to troops in the field and to defend strategic positions. Among the most common weapons used by the Swiss Army artillery are 105mm and 155mm howitzer, including both towed and stationary mounts, as well as the self-propelled Panzerkanone 68 155mm howitzer. Swiss artillerymen also make use of other calibers of conventional tube artillery, as well as MOWAG SNORA multiple-launch rocket systems, as well as a few Gauss and laser weapons, mostly mounted in forts and other strategic positions. *Armor: The Swiss army has two brigades of armored vehicles and over 400 tanks, the most of any post-war military in Europe. About 170 of these are the Panzer 42 Löwe main battle tank, a pre-war licensed produced copy of the German Löwe tank, one of the most advanced armored vehicles in the pre-war world. A few of the Löwe tanks in Swiss service were upgraded with laser or Gauss-based main guns before the war, while the remainder carry a Rheinmetall 120mm main gun. Most of the remainder of the vehicles operated by the armored brigades are older mid-20th century vintage Panzer 68 main battle tank, as well as some support vehicles, including the MOWAG Cheetah tank destroyer and the Fliegerabwehrpanzer 68 and the Fliegerabwehrpanzer 47 anti-aircraft tanks. *Lakes Flotilla: As a land-locked country, Switzerland has no navy, but, like they did before the war, the Swiss Army operates some patrol boats on the lakes, rivers, and canals located along the border, such as Lake Geneva. Initially, this forces consisted of pre-war patrol boats, including the more heavily armed, but older Type 41 and the faster, but more lightly armed Type 80. The flotilla was later expanded to include heavier gunboats- pre-war ferries or barges equipped with guns and improvised armor. The armament varies depending on the gunboat in question, but the heavier gunboats typically carry 90mm or 105mm artillery piece, a 20mm or 35mm autocannon, and 3-5 machine guns. Some also carry MLRS launchers or 81mm mortars. Air Force Intelligence Service Equipment Standard Issue Small Arms Special Issue Small Arms *'SIG 552 Commando' (5.56mm shortened SIG 552, used by special forces) *'SIG 510 battle rifle' (7.5mm GP-11, vintage battle rifle, used by reservists and regular forces as a DMR) *'Heckler & Koch G91 assault rifle' (5.56mm NATO, fell into Swiss hands from pre-war German stocks, used by reservists) *'Steyr AUG assault rifle' (5.56mm NATO fell into Swiss hands from pre-war Austrian stocks, used by reservists) *'K31 bolt-action rifle' (7.5mm GP-11, WWII-era rifle sometimes used by reservists, typically as a sniper rifle) *'Heckler & Koch MP5' (9mm submachine gun, sometimes used by regular and special forces) *'SIG MKMO submachine gun' (9mm, WWII-era SMG, a few used by reservists) *'SIG MPX' (9mm, 12.7 SIG, advanced SMG, used by special forces) *'Remington 870 shotgun' (12 gauge, pump-action shotgun used for close combat) *'SIG 12.7mm ''Jagdpistole' (12.7mm SIG, high-powered hunting pistol, sometimes carried as a sidearm) *'SIG P220''' (9mm, older semi-automatic pistol, sometimes used by reservists) *'SIG P230' (compact .32 ACP pistol, sidearm used by MPs, some officers and non-combat personnel, and reservists) *'Luger P08' (WWII-era 9mm pistol, still carried as a personal sidearm by some reservists and a few officers) *'Rheinmetall AG Minigun' (4.7mm minigun, mostly used on vehicle and sometimes tripod mounts) *'Heckler & Koch L30 Gatling Laser' (heavy energy weapon, mostly used on vehicle and sometimes tripod mounts) *'RL-83 Blindicide' (100mm rocket launcher, 1950s vintage, used by reservists) *'FGM-199 anti-tank missile' (140mm guided anti-tank missile, used by anti-armor specialists) Artillery *'Towed or stationary' **'105mm howitzer:' Common artillery on stationary or towed mounts. **'75mm 1903/18 L30 howitzer:' early 20th century howitzer, some still kept in working order an ammo still produced, mostly mounted in forts. **'75mm mountain howitzer:' 75mm light gun, can be dismantled for transport by pack animal. **'PaK 57 90mm anti-tank gun:' 1950s-era anti-tank gun, partially replaced by 120mm Rheinmetall guns, mostly mounted in forts. **'105mm anti-tank gun:' Mounted mostly in forts, partially replaced by 120mm AT gun **'Rheinmetall 120mm anti-tank gun:' License-built copy of German 120mm anti-tank, mounted almost exclusively in fort as AT guns were replaced by more portable missiles. **'155mm howitzer:' Common artillery piece in towed mounts. **'M40 106mm recoilless rifle:' light recoilless rifle, often mounted on vehicles or tripod mount, can be collapsed and moved by pack animal. **'PaK 34 Gauss anti-tank gun:' 50mm Gauss anti-tank gun in the process of replacing older guns when the Great War occurred, mostly found in the most heavily defended forts. **'EPaK 49 Anti-tank laser canon:' "Energie Panzerabwehrkanone"- Laser anti-tank weapon, introduced in 2049. Mostly in heavily defended forts, less common than other AT weapons. *Self-propelled: **'MOWAG SNORA MLRS': multiple-launch rocket system, mounted on APCs and sometimes trucks in jury-rigged mounts. **'Panzerkanone 68 155mm self-propelled gun' Anti-aircraft weapons *'Stationary or towed' **'20mm Oerliken autocannon:' Various stationary, towed, and vehicle mounts, including single, twin, and quad. Mostly used against soft ground targets. **'Oerliken 35mm autocannon:' Twin-35mm autocannon, can be linked with other 35mm guns and Skyshield missiles for integrated air defense. **'Automated heavy Gatling laser': mounted in fortresses for anti-air and missile defense **'Oerliken Skyshield SAM:' surface-to-air missile is multi-cell launcher, can be linked with 35mm gun. **'RSE Kriens SAM:' surface-to-air missile on twin-arm mount, mounted on trailer or truck. **'Raketenabwehrlaser (RaL)-46 anti-missile laser': Over 100 stationary mounts survive in bunkers in Alps, part of extensive pre-war missile defense system, can also track and intercept aircraft and even be fired at ground targets in manual aim mode. *Self-propelled **'Fliegerabwehrpanzer 68 anti-air tank': Anti-aircraft tank armed with 2 35mm cannon on Panzer 68 chassis. **'Fliegerabwehrpanzer 47 anti-air tank': Advanced AA tank based on Pz. 42 Löwe chassis, armed with two heavy Gatling lasers and two quad-shot Skyshield SAMs. Tanks and Armored Vehicles *'Pz.42 Löwe main battle tank:' Advanced main battle tank, main armament 1x 120 gun, 50mm Gauss cannon, or anti-tank laser. *'Pz. 68 main battle tank:' Mid-20th century main battle tank, main armament: 1x 105mm gun *'MOWAG Cheetah tank destroyer:' Mid-20th century tank destroyer, main armament 1x 90mm or 105mm gun *'MOWAG Trojan infantry fighting vehicle' *'M113 APC' *'MOWAG Barracuda armored personnel carrier:' 8x8 wheeled APC, variable armament configurations *'MOWAG Eagle light armored vehicle' Other vehicles *'Mercedes-Benz Unimog off-road truck' (various models, at least 200 in inventory, most common Unimog 2037 Atomic) *'Various road trucks' (Volkswagen, Mercedes Benz, MOWAG, Berna, Saurer etc, over 500 in inventory) *'Various construction vehicles' *'Snow-Trac' (tracked vehicle designed for use on snow, about 50-100 in inventory) Lakes Flotilla Boats *'Type 42 Patrol Boat:' WWII-era patrol boat, armament 1x 20mm cannon, 2x MG *'Type 80 patrol boat:' Late 20th century patrol boat, armament 1x .50 MG or Rheinmetall 4.7mm minigun *'Armed ferries/improvised gunboats:' pre-war civilian ferries armed with various guns, typical 1x 90mm AT gun, 1x 20mm cannon, 3-4x MG Aircraft *'Mirage IV jet fighter': French 2040s-era fighter jet armed with 2x 30mm cannon and hardpoints for missiles and bombs, 65 in inventory *'DH-250': Older British fighter jet, 37 in inventory *'Pilatus PC-29': Swiss-made turboprop trainer and light attack aircraft, 77 in inventory *'Pilatus PC-6 Porter:' 1960s-era light transport plane, 28 in inventory. Other Weapons *C-4 explosives *M65 Plasma Grenade *SIG AG 48 Sentry turret Category:Post-War militaries Category:Post-War Factions Category:Pre-War Factions